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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — a tin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com